Black Widow: The True Story of Giggling Granny Nannie Doss

By: Ryan Green

Narrated by: Steve White

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

In 1927, Charley Braggs arrived home to find two of his children dead. The doctor who observed the children in their last moments diagnosed food poisoning as the cause. There was no need for an autopsy. His wife, Nannie, blamed tainted grains as the source, but Charley wasn’t convinced.
 

Charley didn’t feel safe around his wife. In the middle of the night, he took his eldest daughter and ran for his life.
 

The outpouring of sympathy doubled for Nannie when they discovered her husband’s treachery. To her community, she was a sweet lady renowned for her cheerful disposition. But behind the facade was a much darker and sinister reality. A truth that four of her future husbands, two of her sisters, her mother, her mother-in-law, her nephew and her grandson would perilously discover.
 

Black Widow is a dramatic and chilling account of one of the most shocking true crime stories in American history. Ryan Green’s riveting narrative draws the listener into the real-live horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller. 

Caution: This book contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to listen to this audiobook.

©2019 Ryan Green (P)2019 Ryan Green

Don’t Always Trust Those Sweet Older Ladies!

I enjoy listening to these older cases from back in the day when killers were much less savvy in their methods, but almost got away with it! The story moved right along, and the narrator was very pleasant :) I had no idea that Granny could be THIS bold and heartless...yet also have a strong passion for romance novels. Maybe she used passages from the books in her love letters? Lol.

This book was great - not too long or short, and held my interest the whole time. Although I was given this audiobook free in exchange for an honest opinion, I would NOT have regretted spending the credit/money on it. Thank You!

Owner of a lonely heart

Another entertaining addition to my ryan green collection
What fascinates me is she married five men had multiple kids and killed eleven people by age fifty
Steve’s narration is always fantastic I highly recommend any of Ryan’s audiobooks
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

Granny Nannie

The author, Ryan Green, has a talent for writing a true crime thriller that reads more like a novel. Instead of just the cold, hard (and often dry) facts, he takes those facts and creates a very readable story using the facts.

Nannie Doss had a horrific childhood, being raised in a loveless home with an abusive father. When she comes of age, she starts seeking the romance she reads about in her books. The only problem is that Nannie is easily angered and decides to start trying to improve her life through the use of poison. She seeks husbands through the mail in lonely hearts clubs, but each one of them is lacking in their ability to give her the storybook life she desires.

I had never heard of Nannie Doss, but she seems to have been one of the more prolific female serial killers. If you are looking for a strictly factual account of the life of Nannie Doss, this book might not be for you. But, as a good overview of her horrible crimes and what might have led to them, this is a great book.

The narrator, Steve White, has become the voice for Green's books and he does his usual wonderful job. His pacing is perfect and his voice keeps your attention throughout the book. I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook by the author/narrator/publisher and chose to review it.

Black Widow- Nannie Doss

I received this story for free in exchange for a honest review. If you like true crime that will blow your mind than this is the story for you.👍😎

To Satisfy the True Crime Lover

For a long time I have watched true crime shows that go into more of the backstory of the victims and perpetrator, but I’ve only recently discovered the book equivalent. I find that I like the older cases more since they are quite a bit removed from memory and the lack of technology at the time was such that more sleuthing was necessary.

The story of Nannie Doss was riveting. I felt it was very well told and the more gruesome parts were not lingered on for shock value, but rather woven together with a great narrative. You felt as if you were peering into the window of an early 20th century family home.

The narration was great as well. Mr. White has a very pleasant voice that provides great inflection. Even though the reader knows what is coming, his voice lulls you into a false sense of security that everything will be just fine.
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read or watch true crime. I’m hooked now and can’t wait to read my next one.

I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.

Don’t bother

Not at all a thriller or mystery ...rather a dull account of her story wit tabloid touches

Incredibly incisive account of a serial killer…

This was my first book by this author and I was so impressed with his ability to convey the story of Nannie Doss in such a smooth flowing narrative rife with personal detail. The biographical account of her life almost read like a fictional novel even though it was obviously a thoroughly researched and carefully analyzed timeline of events in the life of this remarkable and disturbed woman. The story is told from Nannie’s point of view (something not commonly seen in true crime books) and was, therefore, not simply a recitation of dates and facts conveyed in a succinct journalistic style which would have yielded a somewhat dry read offering a far less immersive experience. It is obvious that great thought was given to the psychology of Nannie resulting from the severe circumstances of her childhood. The author’s interpretation of Nannie’s behavior is imbued with keen insight into the effects of the seemingly inescapable emotional and psychological suffering she was forced to endure. Nannie’s profound psychopathy may never be completely understood but Mr. Green has certainly provided us with a very readable account of one of the most disturbing “black widow” cases to have come to light in relatively recent times. For those choosing to listen to the audio version of this story I would like to mention the outstanding narration provided by Steve White. Without reservation, I would highly recommend this case study to any enthusiast of the true crime genre.

While I did purchase a copy of this book, I was given a copy of the audio version by the author and I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.

Nannie Doss

This was a story about a real life black widow. It’s so interesting to me how she was able to get way with her crimes for as long as she did. If something like her story was to happen in modern times, I don’t believe it ever would have lasted this long. It’s interesting how many serial killers happened to have traumatic head injuries as children. Makes me wonder if there is a correlation with violent behavior and damaging certain parts of the brain. Regardless it was a very interesting read. I recommend it for any fan of true crime.

Black Widow

Very interesting book! So casual about what she did but not surpising! That's why I love Ryan's books! Always based on true stories! Excellently written plus learned a little history! Always a plus plus with Ryan! Congrats Ryan on a fascinating read!

Granny wasn't much of a giggler.

Although this is a story about a serial killer, it reads more like a biography than a TC story, it goes down a little dry. I felt it lacked the suspense and excitement I'm used to in a TC. Because I had never heard of Granny Doss before the lead up was interesting. Once into it however, she begins collecting and killing so many lovers they begin to blur into each other. To add to the mundane, the murderous methods employed by Granny were so passive that she almost seems normal. ALMOST I say, because when she starts offing family members just as nonchalantly as she does the lonely lovers, you are reminded of what a heartless sociopath she truly is. This story's lack of intensity however, is not reflective of the authors great writing skills. If you want a titillating "killer granny" story, I would recommend the Dorthea Puente tale "Beneath the Boarding House" by Ryan Green. It has all the gruesome detail and salaciousness this book doesn't.
- I was given a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Very Good

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I really liked this audiobook. Sometimes, I do struggle with Ryan Green's style of writing, but this book tended to be more fact than emotion, and it read very well, obviously helped by the brilliant narration of Steve White. For the case itself, there isn't much to say that won't be more of a spoiler than the title of the book, but a reminder of the years that things were happening would have helped because it tended to jump a little, and I wouldn't be sure when it was, or what the rough age of the people involved were.

interesting and entertaining

I had not heard of this case before, stumbled across the book by accident.
Theres alot of coverage for the well known male serial killers, so when looking for something new to read in true crime, it was refreshing to come across this story.
Wow, what a cold and selfish woman she was.
Despite the rubbish childhood she had, I didn't feel any empathy for her, she was very calculated and I don't think her upbringing was a true motivation for her crimes.
The narrator was brilliant! not heavy going at all, he and the author made the story quite entertaining.
I would recommend this book

Excellent

A really interesting story, not for the fainthearted, highly recommend. Hadn't heard of this lady but definitely won't forget her after this story!

enjoyable

The narration has been very well executed and the storyline nicely edited. Overall, aside from the topic, a very enjoyable listen.

A fantastic listen

Another great story from Ryan, which I enjoy immensely. As always superbly narrated by Steve. Highly recommended.

One of the best true crime books that I've read!

Thank you to Ryan Green for providing me with this audiobook free of charge in return for an honest review.

Nannie Doss is a serial killer that I’d never heard of before, but the meak and mild-looking woman on the cover really piqued my interest. After reading Green’s story to Nannie’s life and crimes, I think that she’s actually turned into one of the most interesting criminals that I’ve ever read about.

As always, Green tells Nannie’s story in a good tempo, starting from parental backgrounds and working up to Nannie’s early life and possible triggers that turned her to kill. Green’s books are so informative and interesting as if he has any opinions or bias about the people that he is writing about, it never shows. He is simply stating what he knows of the events and how it likely made people feel.

If I’d watched Nannie Doss’ story on the television or film, I would have believed it to be a completely fictional piece. It’s incredible how one woman can kill so many people close to her and be considered the victim. How she is not a more well-known serial killer is beyond me. She is absolutely fascinating.

I’ve mentioned before how much I love the way that Green writes his stories. When reading true crime, I often find myself drifting or struggling to envision what I’m being told, but Green really sets the scene and paints the perfect picture. This book was a lot shorter than some of his other works that I’ve listened to, but by no means is it less interesting or informative. In fact, I think it’s my favourite so far.

Narrator, Steve White also does a fabulous job, making a grim subject a very easy and enjoyable listen. I put this on while doing some mind-numbing tasks at work one day and couldn’t actually stop listening to it.

I’d 100% recommend this to any true crime fan.

fantastic read!

This book was fantastic! Ryan has done a fabulous job! It was detailed, and he tells the story beautifully! I would recommend this, true crime enthusiasts wont be disappointed!

Looking For Romance.

Another chilling tale this time in the form of someone wanting to live there life. Like the pages of a romance book. There were times were I felt sorry for this woman as she just wanted someone to love her and to be true . Then I remembered some of the stuff she had done. Another true crime book by this author I've enjoyed and with the narrator doing a good job telling the story.

Exactly how a true crime book should be

I have a guilty pleasure for true crime stories but to be perfectly honest I had never heard about this case until I came across this novel. From the offset it becomes highly apparent to just how much in depth research the author has carried out and the passion for giving the reader all of the information came across in abundance. I was shocked about the length of the book as it is quite short but yet I feel that I had learnt so much within such a short time . It is full of information about this vile and evil human being. Overall a very haunting and thought provoking case which is wonderfully written. i was given this book by the author/narrator in return for an honest and unbiased review

Chilling

I have mixed feelings about this book - not because of the writing or the narration, both were exceptional. However, there were moments I felt sorry for Nannie Doss. Her story felt real, which is always key for a story based on truth and facts, and Ryan does not shy away from the humanising facts about this lady, nor does he shy away from the chilling truths of her. Steve's narration really helps bring the story to life, a calming voice talking about this horror and what occurred.

I always deem it a good book when it leaves me thinking about the story told, and this certainly does that. I have given myself a few days to try and digest what I heard, and I'm still wondering how Nannie Doss got to that point, even though we were given more than enough information, The truth doesn't always leave us as satisfied as we expect when we think of people that kill.

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.